The Time Before Jesus Was Twelve Years Old

Isaiah
7:14-16

14
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be
with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

15 "He will
eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose
good.

16 "For
before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land
whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.
NAS

INTRODUCTION

Understanding Jesus in his pre-adolescent years

Isaiah’s
prophecy of the birth of the Messiah offers us unusual insight and an
explanation why Jesus, as a child in preadolescence, did not know enough to refuse
evil, and choose good.Jesus was not
guilty of willful disobedience and sin.Rather, as a child he was subject to the normal feelings, passions, and
discipline that all children encounter.Jesus needed the same godly parenting by Joseph and Mary as did his
siblings.In his prepubescent
childhood, Jesus needed to be trained and disciplined to understand how to
refuse what was evil, and choose what was good.

Jesus
is not God, nor is he “God the Son,” as portrayed in the creeds of so-called
Christendom.He is the only begotten
SON of God; he is a man (1 Timothy 2:5; John 8:40).The scriptures teach Jesus was made like his brethren in ALL
ways, and this includes his childhood.

Hebrews
2:17-18
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might
become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people.For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able
to come to the aid of those who are tempted.NASU

Jesus
was tempted as a man.The first time
Jesus can be observed in scripture being “tempted” was in the wilderness at age
thirty after his baptism.

Luke
3:23 And
when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age…NAS

Matthew
4:1 Then
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil.NAS

God
cannot be tempted, and He tempts no man.Therefore…Jesus cannot be God.In scripture, the apostle James, the very brother of Jesus, offers the
best description of the connection between lust, temptation and sin.An adult or teenage juvenile must come of
age before grasping what it means to be carried away and enticed by his or her
own lusts, then to conceive lust, and have it give birth to sin.

James 1:12-20

12 Blessed is a man who
perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the
crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

13 Let no one say when he is
tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by
evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

14But each one is tempted
when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

15Then when lust has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth
death.

16 Do not be deceived, my
beloved brethren.

17 Every good thing bestowed
and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.

18 In the exercise of His will
He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the
first fruits among His creatures.

19 This you know, my beloved
brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

“Sun”
= 4862(pronounced “soon”) is a primary
preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer
than NT:3326 or NT:3844), i.e. by association, companionship,
process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc

The
second Greek word that sullaboúsa is comprised of is, “lambano.”

“Lambano”
= 2983(pronounced as “lam-ban'-o”) is
a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in
certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally and
figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas
NT:1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while NT:138
is more violent, to seize or remove]):

Thus
the correct meaning of “conceived” in James 1:15 means literally, “taken hold
of & in union together with,” or, “taking hold of, possessing and
associating together in union with.”James 1:15 would more properly read, “Then when lust has been taken
hold of, possessed and united together with (in intimate association), it gives
birth to sin…” The importance of this definition is to understand that a
child, even Jesus, could not possibly comprehend this process, and is therefore
incapable of “sin” (Greek = hamartían; meaning, “to miss the mark”) in this
manner.

The
context of James 1:12-20 begins with an admonition to the “man who perseveres
under trial.”The Greek word for “man”
in James 1:12 is “aneér” and Strong’s defines this Greek word as, “a man; i.e.
- an individual male.”Thayer’s Greek
Lexicon says with a reference to age, aneér distinguishes an adult man from a
boy, as seen in Matthew 14:21.

The
context of James 1:12-20 is an exhortation to adults, not children.Children have not yet formulated the mental
capacity to understand the dynamics of temptation.God does not put an unrealistic demand on children, saying, “once
he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life.”

From
a very early age children know the difference between right from wrong.Their distinction of what is right and what
is wrong is much different from that of an adult.Children do, of course, have a conscience, and as they mature,
their instinct tells them when they have done something wrong.However, a child learns to distinguish right
and wrong from the instructions given them by dad and mom.For example, a child does not know it is
wrong to play with a poisonous adder, and is promptly scolded by its parents if
he or she gets near the deadly snake.The scolding is for the child’s own well-being.

The
conscience of children must be trained, and it is the godly responsibility of
parents to guide and instruct them.Children need help to differentiate between good and evil.

Children
can memorize scripture, and are aware when they have violated their
conscience.They can and DO exert their
will.They are sometimes (even often)
defiant, but not rebellious in the same manner as a teenager is.Infants and toddlers have little or no concept
of right and wrong.Even their
conscience is something that develops with age.

The
exact age of “accountability” may differ from one child to the next, but it is
safe to say that adolescence would put each individual person squarely on the
side of choice.Character and
commitment generally are seen as the moral distinctions between adolescents and
children.The tragic trend of school
shootings, rape, gang-style initiation beatings and other horrific acts of
violent criminal behavior, brought on by the immoral and amoral influences of
our American society, are committed by teens, not prepubescent children.

The
psychology of a very young child, such as a toddler, is characterized by
glimpses of what he or she views mommy and daddy doing, and mimics as a
consequence.If either parent displays
anger, or moodiness, then the child will do the same.If the adults pout, or scream, or cry to get their way, the small
child will imitate their behavior.In
this way children learn conduct, and often parents discipline their young
children for being vociferous, when in actuality, the child is simply acting
out what the parent has modeled for them!

On
the other hand, a parent in tune with his or her children will strive to
consistently model a morally blameless character for them.Actions speak as loud, or even louder than
words, and this is how little children learn to understand right and
wrong.By the time they become teens and
adults their preadolescent concept of “right and wrong” develops into a realization
of the difference between “good and evil.”

This
difference between a child’s concepts “right and wrong” and an adult’s concept
“good and evil” is a simple rule of thumb for appreciating the age of
accountability.A child’s mind may
think, “It is wrong to play in the street,” because mom and dad said so.Another example of a child’s feelings or
thought process when he or she considers stealing a candy bar at the local
convenience store is, “I hope I don’t get caught, cuz I’ll be in big
trouble.”Their minds reason with
childish naivety, even though they violate their conscience when they choose
evil.

By
comparison, a teen or adult has a developed perception, extending beyond the
childlike meanderings of the consequence for stealing.They KNOW it is EVIL to steal, and they KNOW
ENOUGH to refuse the evil, or become a thief at heart.

The Woman’s Seed = The Seed Of Abraham

God
the Father created the sperm cell in Mary’s ovary, and a fetus developed in her
womb, and nine months later Jesus was born.Though his conception was unique, Jesus’ birth was just like any other
baby.Many righteous men and women in
Israel were anticipating the birth of their long-awaited Messiah, as was a very
wicked king.

To
escape the murderous rampage of Herod the Great, who sought to kill all the
Jewish males, two years of age and younger, Joseph and Mary took their baby
Jesus, and instead of returning to their home in Nazareth, were forced into
exile.They hid in Egypt until Herod’s
death in 4 B.C.Other than this account
of his childhood, little else is known about Jesus’ early life.

Jesus
had other brothers and sisters, and Joseph and Mary, a righteous and blameless
couple, did their best to raise him according to the commandments and statutes
of the scripture.God the Father
handpicked Joseph and Mary to be the earthly parents of Jesus.He knew they were blameless, and upright,
fearing God, and keeping His commandments.Joseph’s character is most notable, as seen by his compassionate and
discerning treatment of Mary when she was found to be pregnant before they had
any conjugal relations.

Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus
Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been
promised in marriage to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be
pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

19And her promised husband
Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and
to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly
and secretly.

20 But as he was thinking this
over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph,
descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which
is conceived in her is of (from, out of) the Holy Spirit.”

21 “She will bear a Son, and
you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means
Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them
from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God].”

22 “All this took place that
it might be fulfilled which the Lord had spoken through the prophet,

23 Behold, the virgin shall
become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name
Emmanuel--which, when translated, means, God with us.” [Read Isaiah 7:14.]

24 Then Joseph, being aroused
from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him: he took her to
his side as his wife.

25 But he had no union with
her as her husband until she had borne her firstborn Son; and he called His
name Jesus.Amplified Bible

Jesus
followed in their footsteps, but had something unique that his siblings were
lacking.

God
sent a message to Joseph through, “THE angel of the Lord.”This is a very specific angel, seen
throughout the OT.The angel of the
Lord (Yahweh) gives the impression of having a regal status, and the messages
he delivers originate directly from Yahweh.In fact, throughout the Old Testament scriptures that mention the angel
of Yahweh, often show him speaking in the first person singular FOR Yahweh
(e.g. – “Thus says Yahweh…”).This
royal messenger’s divine reassurance to Joseph, a righteous man, includes a
reference to the text of Isaiah 7:14-14.

An
interesting note, not related to this Bible study, is the fact that nowhere
else in the entire New Testament scripture, including the gospels, is THE angel
of the Lord ever mentioned again.His
role as Yahweh’s divine messenger seems to end with the procreation of Jesus.

Another
interesting note is the distinct difference between the angel of the Lord, and
the yet unborn Jesus.Christian
theologians have misrepresented the angel of Yahweh as being one and the same
as the “Pre-Incarnate Christ” seen in the Old Testament.This is false doctrine, originating from the
doctrine of the Trinity, claiming there are three co-eternal persons of God
that existed from eternity and Jesus is one of them, existing as the
“Pre-Incarnate” Christ of the OT, who manifests himself as “the angel of the
Lord.”

Unlike
the popular theory foisted by the Christian church at large, Jesus did not
leave his throne in heaven, and then, as the second person of the Trinity, dive
down into the human race, and become a man.Such a view is absurd, illogical, and creates confusion with regard to
Jesus’ identity.Matthew 1:24
distinctly proves the angel of Yahweh is completely separate in identity from
Jesus, and further verifies that Jesus’ existence began at his conception in
the womb of Mary, and NOT from all eternity.

Unfortunately
it is necessary from time to time to expose false teaching, because it has
warped and twisted the churches’ understanding of who Jesus is.In fact, the purpose of this study is to
help “un-learn” centuries of bogus theology, so we can know and understanding
with clarity the Jesus we seek to imitate.

Below is a brief summary of the history of man and God’s dealing with him:

A.From
the beginning of creation, God makes man in HIS OWN image and likeness (Genesis
1:27 with Genesis 5:1), and gives him choice (free will; read Genesis
2:16). He gives man freedom to "eat" (meaning of any tree
except the tree of the knowledge of good & evil. He gives solemn
command to Adam, telling him in the day he eats of it, he will surely die
(Genesis 2:17).After God gives Adam
this commandment, THEN God creates the woman (Genesis 2:18, 21-25).

B.The
woman was created from Adam’s rib BEFORE they both sinned.This is proof the genetic code was defiled
through Adam’s chromosomes, not Eve’s.After God put Adam to sleep, and took a rib from his side, and made the
woman, Adam proclaimed, “This [creature] is now bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken
out of a man.” (Genesis 2:23-24)Since the woman was made from Adam’s own flesh, he was supposed to
nourish and cherish and sanctify her, even as he did his very own flesh
(Ephesians 5:31-33).Adam was
responsible to protect his wife from sin.Instead, he stood by and watched as the serpent beguiled Eve, and then,
to compound his disobedience, Adam partook of sin himself!

C.Genesis
3:6 When
the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the
eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit
and ate; and she gave also to her husband WITH her, and he ate. NAS

D.Man
sins and abuses his choice. Eve may have been beguiled, and certainly she
sinned, but she originated FROM MAN, not the other way around.She was bone of HIS bone, and flesh of HIS
flesh, not the other way around.Therefore Adam allowed his OWN FLESH to be defiled, bringing sin,
disease, and death into the world.Sin
is a choice, as is righteousness.

E.God
curses the ground because of what Adam did by listening to his wife and
committing sin.Because Adam failed to
protect the “flesh of his own flesh (Eve), God cursed the ground, and to Adam
He said, “Because you have listened and given heed to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat
of it,’ the ground is under a curse because of you…” (Genesis
3:17).The word “ground” in Hebrew refers to more than just
dirt.Man was created from the dust of
the earth, and was sown a natural body by the Creator Himself (Genesis 2:7 with
1 Corinthians 15: 45-49).The ground
that is cursed represents all living organisms and inanimate matter, including
the genetic structure of human beings.This begins Newton’s second law of thermodynamics.

G.Since
Adam was physically and morally responsible for sin, his male gene could never
regenerate a human species that was free from the chaos and disorder stated in
the second law of thermodynamics.God
is a God of order, not disorder, and when He created Adam, He did so in perfect
order. 1 Corinthians 14:33 states, “For is not a God of confusion and disorder
but of peace and order...” From Adam’s transgression came chaos, disorder,
enmity, and strife, seen from the jealous rage of Cain, when he killed his
brother Abel (Genesis 4:1-16).To
summarize, Adam introduced sin and death into the world, and Cain executed the
first murder, spilling the first human blood of a righteous man Abel.

H.While
the negative consequences of what happened in the garden have been widespread
and far-reaching, God promised the woman (Eve) that her “seed” would eventually
crush the head of the serpent that had beguiled her.Only the Creator, who understands the way He created mankind,
would be able to make such a promise.God’s nature is such that He demands justice, and Adam’s seed would
never produce an unblemished offspring.

I.Man
becomes corrupted, and is left to guide himself through his own “knowledge” of
good and evil.Finally, mankind became
so corrupt, God was forced to destroy all but eight persons with a global flood
(READ Genesis chapters 6 & 7).

J.After,
the flood, a man named Abraham is born, and he becomes God’s friend.So great is this man’s faith, that God makes
a covenant with him, and promises Abraham that, through his “seed” will come a
multitude of spiritual descendents greater than the sands of the sea.In Abraham God sees hope for His creation,
and knows He can eventually redeem the human race.It will take just the right timing and circumstances, but a
promise by God is made, and it cannot be broken.The “seed” of Abraham is obviously not referring to the genetic,
even though his son Isaac, and grandson Jacob would be given (by God) the same
covenant promise.Abraham’s “seed” was
a seed of promise.The Messiah would
not come Abraham’s genetic loins through Joseph, the husband of Mary;
nevertheless, it WOULD come from his genetic loins through Mary, cousin to
Elizabeth, a descendent of Aaron.

Galatians
3:16, 19
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say,
"And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to
your seed," that is, Christ…Why the Law then?It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through
angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the
promise had been made. NAS

K.After
the covenant to Abraham and his descendents, God eventually gives man the Law
through Moses, saying "if" you do this, I will do that. The "if"
means God knows what He WANTS man to do, but leaves some uncertainty with
respect to the outcome of each individual person’s choice (i.e. - either
obedience or disobedience). Because of the chaotic effect of the fall,
those who chose to walk in covenant with God needed to have His will spelled
out.Therefore God etched His
commandments and statues in tablets of stone in order that man and women would
be without excuse for understanding what His will is.The Law itself did not make men righteous, or justified before
God.Rather, through the Law, men
understood what sin was (Romans 3:20).The remission of sin, for the purpose of gaining a clear conscience,
could only come through the sacrifice of blood.This seems rather grotesque, but because Adam’s disobedience
brought death into the world, Jesus’ obedience to offer his blood (in a
sacrificial death) would bring life to the world.It is a law of the universe; for every action, there must be an
equal and opposite reaction.

L.Because
God is dealing with fickle mankind, and cannot trust they will always choose to
listen to and heed His voice of command, He formulates a plan to create the
perfect man (so to speak); one who WILL obey, and one whom God CAN rely upon to
obey His word every time.God’s plan of
redemption will not reverse the effects of physical death on the body, which is
the consequence of man’s sin.However,
it WILL reverse the effect of death to man’s spirit, the consequence of one
man’s obedience.In order to do this,
God must begin His plan, and bypass the genetic defect passed on to all men,
because all men came from one bloodline…Adam (Acts 17:26).By creating a unique and uncontaminated
sperm cell, with the DNA structured so that only a male gene exists, God knows
He has altered the inborn weakness of the human race passed on through Adam’s
loins, radically increasing the likelihood of total obedience and compliance
with His will by His son Jesus.Unlike
the thousands of tiny sperm cells that ordinarily compete with each other for
the right to the female egg, God implanted only ONE SEED in a virgin, in order
that there would be no room for error or random selection (so-called).Gambling bookies would call this, “A long
shot.”But in God’s mind, it is a
mathematical certainty…one seed, and only one only begotten son…Jesus.

M.After
his birth, and having been raised up and trained by his earthly parents, as an
adult Jesus would need to be tempted and tested just as all other men, to prove
he was worthy, and to qualify as being the spotless Lamb of God.The fifth chapter of the Book of Romans best
summarizes what happened:

Romans 5:12-6:1

12 Therefore, as sin
came into the worldthrough one man, and death as the result of
sin, so death spread to all men; with no one being able to stop it or to escape
its power because all men sinned.

13 To be sure sin was in the
world before ever the Law was given, but sin is not charged to men's account
where there is no law to transgress.

14Yet death held sway
from Adam to Moses the Lawgiver, even over those who did not themselves
transgress a positive command as Adam did.Adam was a type (prefigure) of the one who was to come in
reverse; the former destructive, the latter saving. (See Genesis 5:5; 7:22;
Deuteronomy 34:5.)

15 But God's free gift is not
at all to be compared to the trespass; His grace is out of all proportion to
the fall of man.For if many died
through one man's falling away (his lapse, his offense),much more
profusely did God's grace and the free gift that comes through the undeserved
favor of the one Man Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for the benefit of
many.

16 Nor is the free gift at all
to be compared to the effect of that one man's sin.For the sentence following the
trespass of one man brought condemnation, whereas the free gift
following many transgressions brings justification (an act of righteousness).

17 For if because of one
man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one,much
more surely will those who receive God's overflowing grace (unmerited favor)
and the free gift of righteousness putting them into right standing with
Himself reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah,
the Anointed one).

18 Well then, as one
man's trespass, one man's false step and falling away led to condemnation for
all men, so one Man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and right
standing with God and life for all men.

19 For just as by one
man's disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many
were constituted sinners, so by one Man's obedience the many will be
constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with
Him).

20 But then Law came in, only
to expand and increase the trespass; making it more apparent and exciting
opposition.But where sin increased and
abounded, grace (God's unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more
and superabounded,

21 So that, just as sin
has reigned in death, so grace (His unearned and undeserved favor) might
reign also through righteousness (right standing with God) which issues in
eternal life through Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one) our Lord.

AMP

N.In
the plan God formulates to redeem mankind He inspires the historical writings of
His prophets, He gives a prophetic glimpse into HIS future plan, with a defined
purpose for how He will use it. We refer to this written plan as the
books of the Old Testament.This
prophetic plan includes a deliverer, a messiah if you will, and God knows it
will be a man created in the womb of a virgin. God knows He must bypass
the genetic defect in Adam that makes man's flesh so weak.

O.In
the Law and the Prophets (i.e. - Old Testament writings) God includes
many messianic facts in the inspired record (writings). In
so doing, He inspires the OT in such a manner that it will speak directly to
the heart of His future (yet uncreated) only begotten son Jesus.

P.Jesus
is created in the womb of a virgin, and the "seed" (sperm cell) God
implants is divinely manufactured. In bypassing the genetic code of Adam,
and creating a sperm cell that is not tainted with whatever defect has caused
mankind to be more prone and vulnerable to yielding to sin, God procreates His
only begotten son using the ovaries of a virgin (Mary) who is undefiled by the
sinful Adamic male.It was THROUGH ADAM
that sin was passed to mankind, not through Eve.This does not imply “original sin,” as the Calvinist or Roman
Catholic would purport.Rather, it
proves that after the fall of Adam in the garden, because of the way God
designed him, Adam would genetically pass on this defect to his
descendents.This is clearly seen in
the narrative of Cain, who slew his own brother Abel.In the generational record of Adam, we see that Seth was then
created, not in God’s likeness and image, but rather in Adam’s.

Genesis
5:1-3 THIS
IS the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of the
offspring of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of
God.He created them male and female
and blessed them and named them both Adam [Man] at the time they were
created.When Adam had lived 130 years,
he had a son in his own likeness, after his image; and he named him
Seth.AMP

Q.Jesus
is born in the time of Herod the Great, one of "two kings" who lived
at the time when the land of the Jews was forsaken (Isaiah 7:14-16). The
historical setting of Isaiah's prophecy also fits with the time of Jesus.
In Isaiah's days, before the exile and captivity, Israel's children ate
"curds and honey" up until age twelve (12) because Israel's crops had
been destroyed. Ordinarily, Israel's children only ate curds and
honey to wean a child from feeding at the breast, between ages of 2-5 or
so. But Assyria had razed their crops, so Israel’s children ate curds and
honey until age 12 in Isaiah's days. All they had was what the herds
produced (curds for protein) and wild honey.

R.Jesus
reads Isaiah, his favorite and most often quoted OT book. He comes upon
Isaiah 7:14-16. What does he think? He is not eating literal curds
and honey, but as he reads verse 16 "Forbefore the boy
will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose
two kings you dread will be forsaken," Jesus realizes this is
referring to him as a toddler at the time when Herod the Great killed all
the newborn in Israel by trying to eliminate he who would be called
King of the Jews. The first of the "two kings" in Jesus’
day was Herod the Great.Jesus was about
two years of age when, according to Isaiah 7:16, "the land whose two kings
you dread will be forsaken." In fact, Matthew 2:12-27 verifies that
the land of the Jews was forsaken during this time, after which Herod the Great
died shortly thereafter, and his son Herod inherited the throne.

S.Jesus
realizes he would have been about age twelve if he actually lived in Isaiah's
time. He knew Isaiah 7:14-16 spoke of his birth because verse 14
says, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin
will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."
Where do we find in the gospels a passage indicating when Jesus first ate the
milk (curds) of the word, and enjoyed its sweetness (honey)? Wasn't it in
Jerusalem at age twelve?

Luke
2:42, 46-52Andwhen he became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the
Feast... And it came about that after three days they found him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and
asking them questions. And all who
heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.And when they saw him, they
were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us
this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for
you." And he said to them, "Why is it that you were
looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be
in my Father's house?" And
they did not understand the statement, which he had made to
them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and he
continued in subjection to them; and his mother treasured all these things in
her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in
wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. NAS

T.At
age twelve, having reached adolescence, and having been raised by godly parents
to identify with the Law and the Prophets, understanding what God had in store
for him, Jesus is ready to start reading the scriptures in a more personal
way. Note in Luke's account Mary's response to Jesus in the temple,
"Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I
have been anxiously looking for you." She obviously had treated him
more like a child than a teenager up to this point. At the same time,
Joseph probably had been teaching Jesus who his REAL Father was all along, but
it took the adolescent hormones and mental growth process for Jesus as a teen
to think independently and to declare to Mary, ""Why is it that you
were looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father's
house?”

U.What
is even more interesting, and verifies age twelve was the time when Jesus came
to, "know enough to refuse evil and choose good,"
(Isaiah 7:16) is what is said about Joseph and Mary's interpretation of the
account in the temple, "And they did not understand the statement which he
had made to them." THEY (Joseph & Mary) did not understand, but
Jesus' time had come; he was now old enough to comprehend his Father's message
to him contained in the OT scriptures.

V.It
was AFTER age twelve that, "Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature,
and in favor with God and men." He then saw the passages like Genesis
1:26 in a whole different light.This
age is when he truly read the OT as instructions and teachings from his Father
God.He understood his Father (God) was
instructing him to make man back into the likeness and image of God.

If
the OT writings were given by God to His son Jesus, and were for his
admonition, then they are not unlike the NT writings, given to us for our
admonition.

Is age twelve the age before one cannot sin?At
approximately age twelve Jesus knew “enough” (Isaiah 7:14-16) to refuse evil
and choose good. This is a ballpark figure, but mainly speaking of
adolescence. Before the teen years, children are cleansed by the
chastisement of the parents. He or she is told what to do, or not do,
receiving direct parental consequences either way. Perhaps this is what
is meant in the following scripture:

1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband
is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with
the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the
unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated
husband.Otherwise your children would be unclean
(unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are
prepared for God [pure and clean].AMP

At
age twelve Jesus became adolescent and he developed his own independent
thinking process like all adolescents throughout time, and could therefore see
his Father's instructions written directly to him in the OT from a more
discerning and intelligent perspective than a child could.

When, at age twelve Jesus reads Isaiah 7:16, "For before
the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread
will be forsaken," he realizes this refers to the time during and after
Herod the Great killed all the newborn in Israel trying to eliminate he
who would be called King of the Jews.

The first of the "two kings" in Isaiah 7:14-16
was Herod the Great. Jesus was about two years of age when, according to
Isaiah 7:16, "the land whose two
kings you dread will be forsaken." Matthew 2:12-27 verifies Joseph
and Mary forsook the land of the Jews as they fled from Herod the Great
during this time.They traveled as far
as Egypt, which was apparently outside of Herod’s ruling jurisdiction.Herod the Great died shortly thereafter, and
his son Herod inherited the throne.

When Herod the Great killed the 2 year olds, Jesus, Mary
and Joseph had forsaken the land and went to Egypt.Jesus at 2 years of age was not capable of sin by any
measure.The point in Isaiah 7:16 is BEFORE the boy knows enough to
refuse evil and choose the good, the land is forsaken, not after.

Isaiah
also mentioned Jesus as eating “curds and honey” AT THE TIME HE KNOWS to do
good and refuse the evil.This is the
time when he begins to understand the word of God, which is symbolized in the
Law, the Prophets, Psalms, and Proverbs by four food groups...milk, meat, honey
and bread. At age twelve Jesus is asking questions of the scribes in the
temple; this is the first and only childhood record of him.It is safe to say, at this time, that Jesus
is eating the milk (curds) and honey of the word of God.

Joseph & Mary Discern Isaiah’s Prophetic Words

Isaiah 7:14-16

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and
choose the good.

16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good,
the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.

NKJV

Isaiah's
prophecy takes place during the time the virgin conceives.In fact, as stated earlier, Isaiah 7:14 is
the very passage of scripture quoted to Joseph by the angel of the Lord when he
came to bring Yahweh’s message to him by revealing Mary was pregnant with the
Christ of Israel.

Joseph,
being a righteous man, and chosen by God to raise His only begotten son, would
assuredly be a man of the word.He
would not only be familiar with the context of Isaiah 7:14-16, but after this
angelic visitation, he most likely went to his synagogue, and either read
about, or inquired as to the meaning of the passage.

As
Joseph read, pondered and discussed the meaning of this passage with his
beloved wife Mary, mother of the child, the meaning and implications of Isaiah
7:14-16 must have seemed intriguing, and staggering.

Isaiah's
prophecy could be perceived from a few different angles:

1.His
name “Immanuel” would not be the surname, because the angel of the Lord told
him the Christ child would be called, “Jesus.”In Hebrew, the word, “Immanuel,” does NOT mean, “God with us,” as has
commonly been mistranslated in our English Bibles.Immanuel comes from two primary root words, and its literal
meaning is, “overshadowed with strength.”Joseph could only ponder and speculate what this meant, but as time
passed and Jesus matured, he would have observed the hand of the Almighty being
with Jesus, guiding and directing him in the direction of his redemptive plan
and purpose.On the other hand, Isaiah
7:14 clearly states, “…the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and SHE shall
call His name Immanuel.”Was it not
Mary who was “overshadowed” by God’s power (strength) to conceive the child in
her womb?Isaiah says it was Mary, the
virgin, who named the child Immanuel, not Joseph.In fact, the literal Hebrew meaning of “overshadowed” is “huddled
together.”Mary was huddled together
with the one (Jesus) whom God (Yahweh) would give her strength (ability) to
conceive.Thus we conclude Immanuel
implies a huddling together of mother and child as they are both overshadowed
with strength that originates from on High.

2.As
Joseph and Mary considered Isaiah’s prophetic utterance concerning Jesus, it
they must have been confused and bewildered as to how the boy would eat curds
and honey (typical of the word of God) UNTIL the time he knows enough to,
“refuse the evil and choose the good.”According to Jewish custom of Jesus’ day, a boy reaches his adult status
of manhood at age twelve. Joseph and Mary would surely have understood this age
as being the time when a boy knows enough to refuse the evil and choose good,
and yet children no longer ate curds and honey as their main food staple until
age twelve. What could it mean?Joseph
probably never figured it out, for even when Jesus was discovered in the temple
during a yearly sojourn to Jerusalem, neither Joseph nor Mary understood what
he meant when he told them he had an obligation to be in his “Father’s house.”
(NOTE –Though neither parent comprehended Jesus’ words, Mary kept a
close and consistent guard concerning him after this.She most likely outlived Joseph to witness Jesus’ death, burial
and resurrection.)

Luke
2:49-52 And
He said to them, “How is it that you had to look for me?Did you not see and know that it is
necessary [as a duty] for me to be in my Father's house and occupied about my
Father's business?But they
did not comprehend what He was saying to them.And He went down
with them and came to Nazareth and was habitually obedient to them; and his
mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart.And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding)
and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.AMP

3.It
did not take very long for Joseph and Mary to figure out the application of
Isaiah 7:16.After they were warned
Herod the Great was seeking to find and murder the Messiah, they fled to Egypt
until after Herod was reported to have died.Herod the Great had a son named Herod that had inherited the throne in 4
B.C.The two kings would seem to concur
with the messianic prophecy in Isaiah 7:16, “For before the child shall know to
refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken
by both her kings.”This “land” would
include all of the land in Palestine where the male children two years old and
up were killed by Herod the Great.

Matthew 2:16-18 Then when Herod (the Great)
saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and
slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from
two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from
the magi.Then that which was spoken
through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, "A voice was heard in
Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she
refused to be comforted, because they were no more." NAS

4.One
remaining aspect of Isaiah’s prophecy was certain to have affected both Joseph
and Mary in all seriousness.They knew
the history of their people Israel.They knew Isaiah had formerly prophesied to a stubborn and obstinate
nation who refused to repent, and as a result of their obstinacy had faced
God’s judgment, first through having their crops destroyed by the Assyrians,
and then being exiled.They also knew
that children in Isaiah’s time ate curds and honey until they were upwards of
age twelve.While they may not have
understood why or how Jesus would eat curds and honey until he knew “enough” to
“refuse the evil and choose the good” one thing was crystal clear…it was THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY to instruct Jesus in the ways of Yahweh and teach him the
scripture UNTIL Jesus knew “enough” to refuse the evil and choose the good on
his own accord.

5.Joseph and Mary also
understood Jesus would eat curds and honey BEFORE the time he would know enough
to refuse the evil.They would likely
have assumed this application was during the time when Jesus was a
toddler.The land “forsaken” while he
ate curds and honey from about age two upwards was Bethlehem, but likely
included Palestine, since Herod the Great was Idumean, and fancied himself to
be familiar with Jewish heritage. After Herod's death in 4 BC, they
returned to Nazareth, and Jesus would have been anywhere from age two years and
upwards.

Messianic Instructions To Joseph & Mary

One
must understand the historical setting and culture of the scriptures to
properly interpret them.This is
especially necessary when studying the life of Jesus.Joseph and Mary are given a divine assignment from the very
conception of Jesus, and apart from Zacharias and Elizabeth, there were not
many people with whom they could share their cherished revelation.

Who
in Nazareth would believe Jesus was conceived miraculously?There are some gospel narratives showing
that the community in Nazareth viewed Jesus no differently than they viewed his
siblings.

·Matthew 13:54-57 And coming to His home town
He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and
said, "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous
powers?Is not this the carpenter's son?Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers,
James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?And His sisters, are they not all with us?Where then did this man get all these things?"And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said
to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in
his own household."NAS

Jesus
was not born and raised as the “God-Man” that most Christianity believes.He was the offspring of God and Mary, to be
sure, but he was subject to the same naivety as other children.He needed to be trained and disciplined, in
keeping with his character, but also his high calling as the Christ of God, and
deliverer of Israel.What a huge
responsibility Joseph and Mary encountered!

·Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way
he should go and in keeping with his individual gift or bent, and when he is
old he will not depart from it. AMP

Proverbs
22:6 is a passage of scripture is not a reference to just any child, but a
child that is to be inaugurated into the office as a leader.Thus it has specific application to Jesus,
who was inaugurated by Joseph & Mary as the very Messiah of Israel!A more literal translation of Proverbs 22:6
is seen below:

The Appropriate Translation

Proverbs 22:6

Instruct, consecrate and inaugurate the child, from the age of infancy to
adolescence, with distinction of excellence in the actions and behavior he
should portray as the external manifestation of his character and disposition,
so that when he grows old enough to show his age as a man, he will not turn
aside from it.

Joseph
and Mary were given this command to inaugurate the Messiah of Israel through
their parental role.The Hebrew
describes this word “child” as the age of infancy to the age of adolescence.It is interesting to note HOW Joseph and
Mary spoke to Jesus, and reprimanded him when they were forced to return to
Jerusalem and search for the boy.When
they found Jesus in the temple, he was chastised just like any other child, and
consistent with the way they had always administered correction to him.

Luke
2:41-51

41 Now His parents went to
Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast. [Deut 16:1-8; Ex 23:15.]

42 And when He was twelve
years old, they went up, as was their custom.

43 And when the Feast was
ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem.Now His parents did not know this,

44 But, supposing him to
be in the caravan, they traveled on a day's journey; and then they sought him
diligently, looking up and down for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances.

45 And when they failed
to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him up and down all the
way.

46After three days they
found Him came upon him in the court of the temple, sitting among the
teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

47 And all who heard Him were
astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and
understanding and His replies.

48 And when they Joseph and
Mary saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to him, “Child, why
have you treated us like this?Here your
father and I have been anxiously looking for you distressed and tormented.”

49 And He said to them, “How
is it that you had to look for me?Did
you not see and know that it is necessary as a duty for me to be in my Father's
house and occupied about my Father's business?”

50 But they did not
comprehend what He was saying to them.

51 And he went down with
them and came to Nazareth and was habitually obedient to them; and his
mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart.AMP

It
is important we view the context of the passage above as any other child being
scolded for misbehavior.Can you
imagine how you would feel if you discovered your child was missing while you
were on vacation, and then the frantic search began? How would you feel if you looked everywhere, including the homes
of friends and relatives, only to come up empty-handed?Imagine the stress and worry and panic that
both Joseph and Mary endured during the three days Jesus was missing!

While
theologians have always focused on the words Jesus spoke concerning his Father
God’s house, little attention is paid to how Mary spoke to him and chastised
him for his disobedience.Yes, Jesus
was obeying God the Father, but apparently this was the first time he’d ever
pulled a stunt like this!Yes, it was
God’s will for him to be in the temple asking questions, but we get a rare
glimpse of how he was treated with regard to parental instruction.Mary rebuked Jesus saying, “Child, why
have you treated us like this?Here
your father and I have been anxiously looking for you distressed and
tormented.”

Jesus
was not given any special treatment this time, and it is strong indication of
the kind of discipline that existed in the household of Joseph and Mary.They were the type of individuals who
embraced their role in molding and shaping the character of Jesus.

While God is the paternal Father of Jesus, and it is the
relationship He shared with Jesus that ultimately shaped His only begotten son
into the man he was, Joseph and Mary’s response to what they were called to do
should be emphasized as an example for us to follow.It was their concern, diligence and moral fiber that helped
produce in Jesus the, “distinction of excellence in the actions and behavior,”
so that, “ he should portray as the external manifestation of his character and
disposition.”It was their godly
parenting applied throughout Jesus’ childhood which insured, “that when he
grows old enough to show his age as a man, he will not turn aside from it.”

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

John the Baptist was a forerunner, sent by God to prepare
the way for His Messiah, the anointed one, the Christ.John’s was a baptism of repentance, and not
a baptism for the remission of sins.Many people who claim to be Christians do not fully understand the
significance of John the Baptist’s role and message.

Jesus came to John to be baptized.Why?John’s baptism was for “repentance.”

Matthew 3:1-4:1

3:1 Now in those days John the Baptist came,
preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand."

3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the
prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready
the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!'"

4 Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair,
and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all
Judea, and all the district around the Jordan;

6 and they were being baptized by him in the
Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who
warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 "Therefore bring forth fruit in
keeping with repentance;

9 and do not suppose that you can say to
yourselves,' We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you, that God is
able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

10 "And the axe is already laid at the root
of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire.

11 "As for me, I baptize you with water
for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I
am not fit to remove his sandals; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire.

12 "And his winnowing fork is in his hand,
and he will thoroughly clear his threshing floor; and he will gather his wheat
into the barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the
Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.

14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying,
"I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"

15 But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit
it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness." Then he permitted Him.

16 And after being baptized, Jesus went up
immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him,

17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying,
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

NAS

Those who came to be baptized by John also confess their
sins.This was something never done
before!No one from Israel had ever
been immersed in water publicly in this manner, and confession of sins until
this time was done only before the priests.All those people who were true Israelites, (according to the spirit, and
not by way of boasting in their blood lineage), knew John was the one referred
to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!'"

John’s message was for everyone everywhere to
repent.John’s baptism could not wash
away sins, because the blood of God’s spotless Lamb (Jesus) had not been shed
yet.Nevertheless, John’s message was
the beginning of the “good news” (i.e. – the gospel) of Jesus the Christ:

·Mark 1:1-4
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.' "John the Baptist appeared in the
wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.NAS

John preached, “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of
sins.”At about age thirty, Jesus came
to John, and asked to be baptized.Why?

Matthew’s account (above) says Jesus arrived from Galilee
at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be
baptized by you, and do you come to me?"But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in
this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he
permitted Him.

Let’s analyze the facts now:

1.John came preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom is at hand.”

2.John baptized with a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins.

3.He was baptizing people in the Jordan River, as they confessed
their sins.

4.John refused to baptize the self-righteous Pharisees and
Sadducees.

5.Jesus came to be baptized by John, and John refused.

6.Jesus asked John to permit his baptism to fulfill all righteousness.

Fulfill all righteousness?What does this mean?The
literal Greek rendering of Matthew 3:15 reads as follows in The Appropriate
Translation:

The Appropriate Translation

Matthew 3:15

But responding from his own conclusion, Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder
it just now, for in this way, what follows us is the conspicuous explanation
that will fill the hollow place and imbue (me) with the whole equity of
character and justification (I need to fulfill my calling).”

What is Jesus saying?He is telling John that he must be baptized in a public (conspicuous,
obvious, evident) way to fill the hollow place, or that which is lacking in him
that would indeed make him justified before God and complete in Him.

This can only mean ONE thing…Jesus was baptized to
account for his prepubescent error, not for willful disobedience and sin.

In other words, as a child, Jesus would experience the
normal disciplinary issues all children face, but his righteous parents (Joseph
& Mary) would stand in his stead before God, and their blameless life would
sanctify Jesus until he was of the age of accountability.The age of accountability is not a
scriptural term, but there is a clear mandate in scripture explaining what
willful sin is, and it can only fully apply to one who has attained a measure
of adulthood.

·James 4:17
So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is
sin.AMP

To account for this childhood erring is what Jesus means
when, in the Appropriate Translation, he utters the words stating this is, “the
conspicuous explanation that will fill the hollow place and imbue (me) with the
whole equity of character and justification (I need to fulfill my
calling).”What “hollow place” could
have possibly existed in Jesus’ equity of character as an adult?

Furthermore, this hypothesis explains WHY Jesus needed to
be imbued (tinctured, dyed) with the “whole equity of character” AND justification.Though Jesus never sinned by failing to
refuse the evil and/or choose the good as an adult, his justification for the
right and wrong behavior of his childhood needed adult acknowledgement and
recognition, accompanied by a change of heart and mind (repentance) that would
move him in a completely different direction.

When Jesus was baptized, it was not for the remission of
sins, but rather it was his acknowledgement of John’s God-given authority and
his divine message.By allowing himself
to be baptized by John, Jesus was admitting the necessity for his own past to
be reconciled and justified, though it be nothing more than a child’s concepts
and actions manifesting his perception of right and wrong.Nevertheless, John’s was a baptism of
repentance (change of mind and heart) and forgiveness filled the hollow spot of
all Jesus did before the time he knew enough to refuse the evil and choose the
good.